Hi, my name is Laurence and I work at Stayci Serviced Apartments for over 2 years now. I was born in The Hague and I live here for over 34 years already. I dare to say that I know this city by heart!

I firmly believe the best way to explore a city’s character is on foot. It’s that magical combination of sights, sounds and smells that makes a place unique. The smell of fresh baked bread from the local bakery. The sounds of the city waking up in the morning. Blossom trees flowering in spring. Hear locals speak in their own language or the smell of freshly ground coffee. All of this is just impossible from behind the windows of a tour bus. It simply gives you more time to experience the city and its surroundings and it gives you sort of the feeling that you’re a part of it instead of being just a visitor. Because who doesn’t want to live like a local, right?

Just like a whole lot of other cities on our beautiful planet, The Hague has tons of awesome things to discover. But what I think what is a little underrated, are the magnificent walking routes through and around the city. Since I live here for over 34 years, long enough to give you the best local impression of hidden gems, I feel the urge to tell you about it!

So, hop on! I’m going to take you(digitally) on a tour along all of my hidden treasures of nature in and around The Hague.

The Hague has so much to offer regarding nature in and around it’s city. For instance, “Het Haagse Bos” (Dutch for The Hague’s Forest), is the oldest forest in The Netherlands!

It’s the perfect place to escape the hectic city within a few minutes from the city centre and take a relaxing walk and pass ancient trees and plants, watch red deer’s and fallow deer’s walk around in “De Koekamp” or take a look at the beautiful King’s palace called Huis ten Bosch.

Huis ten Bosch Palace has been the residential palace of the Dutch Royal Family since 1981 and is one of the three official residences of the Royal Family. The other two being Noordeinde Palace and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. Altogether the perfect hideaway for your city trip!

(credits denhaag.com)

Another amazing gem is Clingendael. This is one of the most magnificent estates in the Netherlands. The park has a feeling of the gardens of an English country mansion. Simply amazing! The main attraction is the Japanese Garden which is open only 8 weeks a year. This is something that I try to visit each year and that’s why I think you should do this too! The entrance is free and it can be very busy, so try to come early.

All information about the Japanese Garden can be found right here

(credits denhaag.com)

Further on the route another awesome tip is my favourite museum which is called Voorlinden. Voorlinden is a private museum for modern and contemporary art in the dunes of Wassenaar. Only the location is a gem on it’s own. You should see it!

Businessman and art collector Joop van Caldenborgh realized his dream to have a museum of international allure that houses his renowned collection. The attractive white building offers a space for Van Caldenborgh’s rich and surprising collection, permanent works of art made especially for the museum and temporary exhibitions.

I don’t want to reveal any of the beautiful art, so the only way to explore it is to go and visit the museum!

All information about the Museum Voorlinden can be found here.

(credits denhaag.com)

After a museum visit it’s time for a amazing walk through the beautiful dunes of The Hague, called Meijendel. The route that I’ve made is via a small part of Wassenaar, where you will see a lot of amazing villas.

Meijendel is the largest dune area in South Holland. This magnificent nature reserve extends between Scheveningen, The Hague and Wassenaar. It consists open dune valley landscapes, irregular lakes, dense pine forests and kilometres of long and wide sandy beaches. Due to its varied landscape, Meijendel boasts an exceptionally rich diversity of flora and fauna.

You can have a little break at Boerderij Meyendel for their famous and delicious pancakes!

Further on you’ll walk in the direction of “Het Zwarte Pad”. This is the end of my walking route. You can either choose to have lunch/diner at on of the many beach restaurants or take the tram #1 back to the city centre. It’s up to you!

(credits denhaag.com)